www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Kabul
The world’s most dangerous city is Kabul, Afghanistan, according to the ppcorn.com website.
Kabul is Afghanistan’s capital and largest city, and it is also the largest in terms of crime. The Taliban here is still very active, and kidnapping and homicide happen on an extremely regular basis.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
2015 har vært et år med mange nyåpnede hoteller, og Nettavisens reiselivssider har funnet frem 10 hoteller som skiller seg ut i design, beliggenhet og service.
På Nettavisens reiselivssiders liste over de 10 beste hotellene fra 2015 ligger Maison Souquet (bildet) i Paris på topp.
Dette er muligens det mest sexy hotellet i Paris. Interiørdesigneren, Jacques Garciaer, har tydelig blitt inspirert av en av Frankrikes beste epoker, Belle Epoque; den «skjønne tiden» fra 1800-tallet. Her får du en god blanding av arabisk interiør blandet med noe av Frankrikes sjarmerende arkitektur og design. Gulldetaljer, fargerike tapeter på alle rom, myke senger, luksuriøst spa og innendørsbasseng.
De andre hotellene på lista ligger i Oman, Fransk Polynesia, Roma, Phuket i Thailand, Bali i Indonesia, Lisboa, Barcelona, New York, og i Douro-dalen i Portugal.
Luksushotellet The Brando er et unikt hotell i Fransk Polynesia, på den vakre private øya Tetiaroa, kjent som Marlon Brandos (1924-2004) private øy. Den amerikanske skuespilleren eide øya fra 1966 til sin død.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Big hotel chains report few vacancies in the Helsinki region this festive season, even though the traditional New Year influx of Russian tourists has not really materialised.
Hospitality industry insiders report that Chinese tourists are helping to make up some of the shortfall, along with guests in town for big sporting events, reports Finland’s state broadcaster YLE.
The capital city region is usually thronged with Russian tourists at this time of year, as travellers cross the eastern border to take advantage of Russia?s longer New Year holiday. This year is different.
As the weak rouble and Russia?s economic troubles influence travel plans, Chinese guests and hockey fans have taken up the slack. Finnair is targeting the far east for new business, bringing Chinese tourists to Helsinki, while the Ice Hockey World Under-20 Championships are bringing plenty of business to the capital?s tourism businesses.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Bamseom Island. Photo: Kim Jinha / asiaone.com / The Straits Times.
A paradise with sandy white beaches where pure-minded people lived. That’s how Yoo Deok Moon describes Bamseom, once his island home in the middle of the Han River running through central Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea.
His heart is still there, even though it has been 47 years since he and more than 400 residents were relocated to the mainland as part of the capital city’s redevelopment plans, reports asiaone.com / The Straits Times.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Italia har nylig vedtatt en lov som gjør det straffbart med bøter på 300 euro, nesten 2900 kroner, å kaste sigarettsneiper på bakken, skriver nettavisen.no / The Local.
Myndighetene har nå sett seg lei på dagligdags forsøpling, og det er ikke bare røykere som skal tas.
Spytter du ut en tyggis, eller kaster papirkvitteringer på fortauskanten risikerer du bøter fra 30 til 150 euro, som tilsvarer 290 til 1440 norske kroner.
Ifølge The Local blir man også bøtelagt for å kaste småting, som ellers skulle gått i bosset, i vannet eller i kumlokket.
Det nye initiativet er en del av en ny lovgivning som omfatter 79 separate klausuler. Målet er å hindre søppel- og forurensningsproblemer over hele landet.
Dette skal igjen føre til at Italia blir mindre avhengig av fossilt brensel og fremmer en bærekraftig utvikling.
Som et resultat av at den nye loven trer i kraft skal myndighetene sørge for å plassere ut en rekke offentlige askebegre og bosspann.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Osaka Governor Ichiro Matsui and Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura took the first step Monday toward realizing their dream of making Osaka Japan’s second – or vice – capital city, reports The Japan Times..
The two leaders opened an office consisting of prefectural and municipal bureaucrats tasked with looking into how the city can best serve as a back-up administrative capital, such as by hosting various government bodies now located in Tokyo.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
A massive new $100m Chinese-themed shopping mall has opened in Bahrain’s capital Manama, reports gulfbusiness.com
Managed by the China Middle East Investment and Trade Promotion Centre, the 115,000 square metre Bahrain Dragon City is located in Diyar Al Muharraq. The mall hosts more than 500 Chinese companies showcasing a wide range of products and services.
The Bahrain Dragon City site includes a 50,000 square meter market, a warehouse facility, a leisure complex and restaurants.
China’s East Star Group also announced that it has invested a further $10m to build an 18,000 square meter storage facility at the site.
The new mall is hoped to boost the profile of Chinese companies in the region and strengthen family tourism into Bahrain, especially from across the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board Khalid Al Rumaihi said: “The EDB has made attracting Chinese businesses to the kingdom a top priority. As a regional tourism hub attracting millions of visitors each year, Bahrain, being a gateway to the GCC market, allows GCC visitors ease of entry into the kingdom whether through the King Fahd Causeway or Bahrain International Airport, which provides a large network of flights to and from the GCC Capitals.”
The Dragon City complex also includes six multi-storey residential buildings offering 300 apartments. Work on the Dragon Apartments is complete with the first set of residents due to move in soon, the developers announced last week.
The chairman of Chinamex Hao Feng added: “Bahrain was chosen as the location for our latest Dragon City project due to the kingdom’s liberal business environment, including 100 per cent foreign ownership, low costs and competitive taxes.
“Bahrain’s location at the heart of the Gulf and its position as a regional centre for business, trade and tourism also give our tenants an unrivalled opportunity to sell their products across the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia, the biggest economy in the GCC, which is just a short drive across the King Fahd Causeway.”
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Flere norske eiendomsselskaper har begynt å åpne mini-hoteller med Airbnb. Samtidig tester hotellkongen Olav Thon ideen på sine hoteller, skriver travelnews.no
Ved Thon Hotell Slottsparken i Oslo har Slottsparken Apartments lagt ut to av sine rom med Airbnb i hele 2015.
– Vi tester det litt, sier konserndirektør Morten Thorvaldsen i Thon Hotels til Dagens Næringsliv.
– Airbnb er kommet for å bli, og vi kan ikke sitte på sidelinjen, sier han videre.
Foreløpig har prøveprosjektet levert under forventning. Rommene ligger under det vanlige belegget på 72 prosent for Slottsparken Apartments.
– Vi har ikke knekt koden ennå i Oslo, men vi viderefører prosjektet, sier Thorvaldsen, som tror at Airbnb på sikt må reguleres på linjen med etablerte næringer.
– Det bør være like vilkår når dette blir stort, sier Morten Thorvaldsen videre.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
Den spanske turisten som ble bitt av en hai på Gran Canaria la ut disse bildene av bitemerkene på Twitter. Foto: Skjermdump fra Ojeda-Thies Twitter-side / Canariajournalen.no
En 38 år gammel spansk kvinne ble blitt av en hai mens hun svømte ved Risco Verde i Arinaga sørøst på Gran Canaria i 1.juledag, skriver Canariajournalen.
Cristina Ojeda-Thies, som er fra Madrid, skal ha vært 20 meter fra stranden da hun merket noe som hugg tak i den venstre armen hennes, ifølge lokalavisene Canarias Ahora og Canarias en Hora.
Kvinnen skal ha slått til haien med den andre armen, og den slapp taket og forsvant i dypet.
Kvinnen kom seg i sikkerhet på land, og oppsøkte et helsesenter hvor hun ble sydd og fikk antibiotika, forteller hun til de kanariske avisene.
På Twitter har hun lagt ut bilder som viser tydelige bitemerker fra mange skarpe på armen.
Dette er første gang en person er bitt av hai på Kanariøyene under bading i havet, ifølge presidenten for haialiansen på Kanariøyene, Fernando Frias. Informasjon på nettsiden til Shark Attack Data viser imidlertid at det har skjedd fem ganger tidligere siden år 1900.
Frias har inspisert bitemerkene og tror det kan ha vært en silkehai som bet kvinnen. Silkehaien kan bli fra 1,8 til 2 meter lang.
Både Frias og Pascual Calabuig, biolog og direktør for et senter som tar seg av skadde dyr på Gran Canaria, tror at det dreier seg om en isolert enkelthendelse.
Frias sier til Canarias Ahora et haier på Kanariøyene sjelden kommer nærmere land eller folk enn 20 meter, og at folk ikke trenger å være redde for å bade.
Området hvor hun ble bitt ligger mellom to fiskeoppdrett som tiltrekker seg haier, ett i Tufia og ett i Castillo del Romeral.
Cristina Ojeda-Thies tilbringer juleferien med familie som bor på Gran Canaria. Hun skal ha sett noe som så ut som en stor, gråhvit fisk med grovt skinn da hun ble bitt, og la etterpå merke til noe som så ut som en haifinne.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism and travel, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. See also our travel blog at www.minbestereise.blogg.no – Contact us at [email protected]
US architects Mark Khidekel and Regina Khidekel are on a visit to Azerbaijan to participate in the US Speakers Program held in the country, reports Trend News Agency.
They have held meetings in Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction and met Azerbaijani architects.
Khidekel said it is their second visit to Baku, adding that they like the city very much. Baku is located on the crossroads of Europe and Asia which gives a unique look to the city, he said.
He pointed out that Baku is rich of architectural monuments, which proves that the country is developing. The city’s historic buildings and old streets should be preserved, according to Khidekel.
The architect said he liked the stone facing of the buildings in Baku and noted that it is quite possible to build skyscrapers in the city. Khidekel noted that several projects were discussed during the meeting with Azerbaijani architects.
For example, a beautiful area can be built around the National Flag Square in Baku, he said. Moreover, the architect supports the idea of horizontal buildings and believes that it is a very advantageous project.
Khidekel said it is possible to construct such buildings in Baku as well, noting that thereby, Baku can become the first capital city with horizontal buildings.
The architect expressed readiness to work on such a project in Azerbaijan if he receives a proposal.
Mark Khidekel is an architect and designer. M.A. and Ph.D. from the Leningrad Institute of Architecture and Construction. Khidekel began his study of architecture under his father, Lazar Khidekel , one of the major Russian avant-garde artists and architects, disciple of Mark Chagall and Kazimir Malevich.
